It is the essence of family and community to take care of one another when in need. More than 70 percent of care is provided by family or friends of the person who is frail or disabled. The dominance of informal care keeps the expenditures on long-term care much lower than they would be if our culture and traditions did not emphasize the importance of care by family and friends.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has had an ongoing interest in informal care, especially in increasing voluntarism and supporting family caregivers.
This Topic Summary synthesizes Program Results on the following work supported by RWJF in the area of informal care:
- Encouraging Volunteers—RWJF has fostered voluntarism, particularly as a way of expanding the availability of long-term care for frail and disabled individuals. Two large demonstration programs, Faith in Action and Service Credit Banking in Managed Care, and projects that preceded them encouraged people to volunteer their services for those in need.
- Family Caregiving—Relatives are a vital link in the long-term-care chain. But caregiving can be difficult and stressful. RWJF has supported several independent projects that explored the role of family caregivers, and policy and programs to support them.